Kerala Blasters

The local boy had a decent day for the Tuskers at home. Rino was instrumental on the right wing. He had an immense impact throughout the game with his dazzling spurts upfront and tenacious approach at the back. It was his cross that assisted CK Vineeth's goal.

Sandesh Jhingan- 8.0

The skipper had a crummy game against FC Goa. He was exploited by the attackers in that match, but Sandesh Jhingan's performance on Friday was a symbol of uncompromising spirit and talent, as he outdid the NorthEast attackers till the final whistle. As usual, he stood tall, and indomitable in aerial duels and had time to apply few crunching tackles.

Lalruatthara- 8.0

The "Emerging Player of the Match", Lalruatthara rose up to the occasion and was one of the best players on the pitch. He not only fulfilled his defensive duties but also went forward and co-ordinated well with Courage Pekuson in launching some lethal attacks.

He had many opportunities to score for his side, but was unable to convert any, particularly the one that hit the post. However, his inability to finish was negligible in comparison to his overall performance.

The Indian international had a moderate game for the hosts. He was employed on the left wing to inject some blitz, but, his movements were well covered by Reagan Singh. He was presented with many opportunities but wasted wasted all.

The player hailing from Manipur performed well. He didn't make any impact either by splitting the defense, or with crunching tackles. But, his presence helped the Blasters take the command in midfield and he co-ordinated well with Wes Brown and Courage Pekuson throughout the 90 minutes.

CK Vineeth- 6.0

Despite scoring a goal, it was not entirely CK Vineeth's day. The alarming presence of Nirmal Chettri often denied him space to exploit and his attempts to dance past the defender were futile.

However, he played his part perfectly to get Rino's cross past Rehenesh, helping Kerala grab all three points.

Came on for Jackichand Singh in the second half. Milan performed his defensive duties, but he was not effective for the team to expand their attacking dominance. Kerala Blasters could've doubled their advantage, if Milan Singh passes upfront had got the right man.

Northeast United

It was an appalling display from the shot-stopper. He not only earned a red card, but also put his team under pressure and zeroed their chances for a comeback. If he hadn't fouled Mark Sifneos, NorthEast United would have fared better in the second half.

The best Indian outfield player on the pitch for NorthEast, Nirmal covered the movements of Vineeth, and stood firm when the team was down to 10. However, if he had marked Vineeth for the goal, NorthEast United would have gone back home at least with a point.

Reagan had a terrible game against Blasters. He barely had time to retrieve from Courage Pekuson's and Lalruatthara's lethal raids. However, he was there to snail the movements of Jackichand Singh. He responded well in the first half, but was attenuated in the second, as Lalruatthara and Pekuson went past him on many instances.

The midfield lynchpin was outclassed by vigorous Kerala Blasters players. He didn't live up to his coach's expectations. He did his defensive obligations, especially in the second half, but on the attacking front, he was eclipsed.

He was really doing well for his side, threatening Rino on the wings and assisting his team with passes to exploit. However, he was forced to be the scapegoat, as the coach replaced him with Ravi Kumar, to fill the shoes of Rehenesh.

Doungel was unproductive on the wings for Northeast United. His weary performance gave Lalruatthara the freedom to go upfront as seen in the second half. He barely had time to implement his role successively.

Came on for Narzary to fill the boots of Rehenesh, Ravi performed brilliantly and his presence helped to limit the deficit for the Highlanders. He thwarted many Kerala Blasters attempts, notably Jackichand's attempt.